tex2670

It does if doing so changes the gear that the tranny would otherwise choose. If you are drivng at 50mph and the car is in 6th, if you down shift, it will take you to 5th. Opposite is true--if sport shift is in 4th, and you're doing 60, if you upshift, the tranny will do it too.

But if you are putting along at 25, and you hit the + paddle up to 6th, the tranny won't actually go to 6th.

Best way to see this is to toggle the info screen to show what gear you are in.

UKDSMer

The only use I have found them to be is for dropping down a few cogs on the highway before mounting a tarmac assault of some kind

nicks88

Pretty much the only use for these fancy pieces of useless plastic on my steering wheel.

nicks88

Leave it in automatic mode, turn on the ECT PWR and this works a lot better than the paddles in my opinion!!

RSXiMUS

iTrader: (7)

I used to think like this, in fact I've only driven manual cars my whole life, up until my last 3 cars were autos. Still I would choose a manual over a torque converter auto, but I would not choose manual over a good dual clutch setup.

I think a manual is a must for low displacement, high revving naturally aspirated cars. Once you get into more higher power premium cars, ie M3's, GT-R's Porsches ect. Nothing better suits them than a highly advanced dual clutch transmission setup. Granted I've never driven Porsche's PDK system or a GT-R. I've driven many M3s, we're talking about the newer ones, E90/92s with the DCT setups not the older single clutch SMG crap on the previous E46's.

I never thought I'd say it but the experience was MUCH better with the 7spd dual clutch tranny than the 6spd manual. Sooo satisfying to hear the car executing 8500rpm shifts PERFECTLY with utter precision. Rowing my own gears in the M3 afterwards feels like I was stuck in the dark ages.